Geospatial analysis applies analytics to data based on geographical aspects and allows users to view and quickly identify dimension values based on geographic location. Many organizations are turning to new data types and new forms of analysis to remain competitive. An organization may apply the context of time, location, and the like, to traditional data, to identify changes over time and also a geospatial location where those changes are taking place. Geospatial analysis typically employs software capable of rendering maps by processing spatial data, and applying analytical methods to terrestrial or geographic datasets, including the use of geographic information systems. Geospatial analysis may be used to predict the occurrence of events at a specific location and at a future point in time. Geospatial analysis may generate patterns and trends in a recognizable geographic context making the data easy to understand and act upon. Organizations may anticipate and prepare for possible changes caused by changing spatial conditions or various location based events. Organizations may also develop targeted solutions to business challenges that may require different responses for different locations.
Simple geographic features may be generated based on a geographical file format. For example, the features may include points such as addresses and locations, line strings including highways and boundaries, polygons representing countries, provinces, tracts of land, and the like, and multi-part collections of these features. These features need not represent physical world entities only, but may be used to represent virtual geographical locations, arbitrary locations, and the like. A geographical file format typically provides for a default or predetermined geographic regions which are used to represent geographic areas such as countries, states, provinces, tracts of land, and the like. For example, a continent may be broken up into countries, and a country may be broken up into provinces. However, when an organization or a person attempts to customize the geographic regions that divide these geographic areas, complications may occur. For example, to create customized geographies, specific geographic information system (GIS) tools are typically needed, several iterations are required to fine tune or polish the results of coding or format editing, and integration with analytical tools can require additional time in order to produce meaningful results from the edited geographies.
Throughout the drawings and the detailed description, unless otherwise described, the same drawing reference numerals will be understood to refer to the same elements, features, and structures. The relative size and depiction of these elements may be exaggerated or adjusted for clarity, illustration, and/or convenience.